Dust accumulating,
Unperceived at first,
Difficult to clean
Once it’s past a
Certain point.
A gradual erosion of
The riverbank by
A changing current,
Carving away
Vital ground.
Change settles in,
Water warming to a boil,
Unwitting shift in attitude,
Things have always been
This way.
At an ordinary
Business meeting,
She finds herself in
An impromptu exchange
About an issue that
Deeply affects women,
Casually but passionately
Argued by a colleague
Who has made her views
Known on more than one
Previous occasion.
After listening for some time,
She shares that
She’s no feminist but
That she thinks women
Should be able to
Make decisions for themselves,
Unintentionally advocating for and
Limiting her own power,
An unconscious interplay between
Patriarchal, hierarchical
Upbringing – programming
On one shoulder,
Self-determination
On the other.
The struggles of those
Who came before her disregarded,
Inadvertent setback,
The conversation shifts.
He fancies himself
A fine person,
Upstanding member of
His community,
A family man of
Excellent moral character,
Responsible, productive,
A good friend to
Those who know him.
He stands on a
Dusty strip of land
In the glaring, hot sun,
Shouting angrily at
Frightened children,
Who know nothing else
But that they and their
Loved ones have
Nothing to eat.
The voices won’t
Leave him alone,
Abiding insecurity
Gnaws at his being.
It’s entirely possible
In his mind that someone
Will burst through the door
At any moment.
They’ll steal his things,
Desecrate his domain,
Leave him penniless,
Vulnerable, destitute.
It’s always that way
With freeloaders,
They take what they want
And hurt good people.
He vows to do everything
Possible so that those
Leeches don’t get anything
That’s rightfully his.
Stay out of our
Business, we don’t
Like meddlers.
We take care of
Ourselves out here,
Don’t need your help.
Self-reliance is
Our way of life,
We make our own fortunes.
The dust covers everything,
A gritty blanket of
Dream-erasing misery.
Fervent independence
Falls by the wayside
As fields wither, lives unravel.
Urgent calls
For government help
Arise in chorus.
The plutocrats’ envoy
Sits comfortably across from the
Predictably deferential journalist,
Smugly spouting platitudes about
Fairness and an even playing field.
Carefully scripted deceptions
Disguise dark ulterior motives.
From his lounge chair,
He nods approvingly,
You tell those lame media jerks.
Around him the infrastructure crumbles,
He recently lost his job,
Gas prices sky high,
Feeding the beast.
It’s a frigid day
In Antarctica and
In the hearts of
Five pompous penguins appointed
To make lofty decisions.
Deferring to a small group
Of the fattest birds,
They cackle self-righteously
While funneling sustenance
To the select few.
Their benefactors
Squawk knowingly and
Slip them a few extra fish
While multitudes
Starve on the shore.
So easy to discard,
An afterthought
Requiring no careful
Consideration.
Reduce worth,
Render insignificant,
Nothing but a haplessly
Toiling number.
Remove any vestiges of
Humanity,
Disconnect,
Abandon.
Where are your papers?
Show me your identification.
Crooked smiles betray
Inner brokenness.
Limit the rights of others,
Satisfy thirst for control,
Demean – marginalize – subdue.
Imposition of capricious rules,
Ostensibly to keep the order,
De facto keeping people down.
Nothing but complete subservience
Will do for reactionaries
Who have never known anything
But abusing power.
